ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has restrained the Islamabad High Court (IHC) from taking further action in the case related to an alleged audio leak involving former first lady Bushra Bibi and son of former chief justice Saqib Nisar, Najam Saqib.
The Supreme Court suspended the IHC’s orders issued on May 29 and June 25, declaring them to be beyond the High Court’s authority.
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The Supreme Court’s intervention comes after it was brought to its attention that the IHC had exceeded its jurisdiction by taking suo motu notice of the case. The Supreme Court has now requested the records of the audio leaks case from the federal government and has ruled that the IHC cannot proceed with further proceedings on this matter.
The Supreme Court has also accepted the federal government’s appeals for a hearing and issued notices to both Bushra Bibi and Najam Saqib. During the proceedings, Justice Aminuddin questioned whether the IHC had identified the individual responsible for recording the audio, to which the Additional Attorney General responded that the investigation is still ongoing.
Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan expressed concerns over the reluctance to uncover the truth, noting that attempts by the Parliament to probe the matter had also been obstructed. He questioned how the truth could be revealed if both the Parliament and the courts are hindered from doing their jobs.
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Justice Aminuddin added that modern mobile phones come equipped with recording capabilities, raising further questions about the source of the leak.
An inquiry commission had been formed to investigate the matter, but the Supreme Court has granted a stay on its proceedings.